Website accessibility - a client asks!

I talk to potential clients every month and I usually illustrate specific website aspects by giving a quick ‘guided tour’ of recent websites that CVW Web Design has developed. Nothing new in that.

During this process, I also advise people that an accessibility statement page is normally a good thing. It’s a simple page that explains the accessibility standards that the website aims to achieve. It may also have some guidance about text resizing and access keys (UK Government guidelines for access keys).

Invariably, this is met with blank looks. However, today was a first. The client asked “I was meaning to ask you about that”, which was followed by a discussion on the UK Disability Discrimination Act and how it applies to websites.

There’s more to it than that of course and I don’t mean to trivialise the issue but it was encouraging to hear someone ask about more web accessibility information for once!

Note: I don’t claim to be an expert on website accessibility. I’m sure I have as much to learn as the next person. However, in any website project I try and do a few things that may help accessibility. If you have comments and/or advice, I’d be happy to hear it.